Starter For JW Wheel and Reid,Deadenbear PG Bell Question

Presently have a Powermaster Ultra starter on a Reid/Deadenbear bell with a JW wheel - believe it is a 164 tooth unit - have about 15 to 1 compression and a Moroso 10 Qt pan - using a .120 motor plate

1. Was curious if anyone else had a similiar setup, and if so if the had and starter issues, like engagement ??

2. I did a search and also saw where a 92 truck 460 automatic starter was recomended as a Ford mini starter, and that they had been used successfully on big inch and big compression motors - question is can they be clocked to clear the big sump pan like a moroso, or perhaps they come in that configuration (to clear)

3. I Used the JW wheel because I had it with a currect certification, is there a better choice, I also need the GM convertor 3 bolt pattern ??

Appreciated
Ron in Houston

Ron,
When Reid introduced the case and bell for the BBF it was made a "special" length to accomodate only their special flexplate that incorporates the crank pilot adapter built in to the center of the wheel's billet design. I know a couple others on this sight were encountered by this surprise as they installed their trans. As I recall, the bell was about 5/16" or so deeper than a standard dimension case or Ultrabell. If your bell is one of those types, you will have a real tough time using a standard flexplate like a JW unless you devise some sort of spacer betweem the crank and wheel.
A couple of years ago, I was shopping for a new case/bell and talked with Reid about them making a "standard" bell so you did not have the use their billet wheel and they were not willing to do that. I ended up with another Ultra bell and Ultra case for that reason.
They may have changed since then. Others may have more input on this topic.
I favor the JW design "Wheel" since the ring gear is serviceable and ring gears DO wear out and get damaged. JW will replace the gear if required. The billet design...get tossed when the gear is bad.
I don't have any experience with the Powermaster or Ford mini starters that are popular with many of the guys on this site.
I use CSR and Tilton starters on my setup. They are clockable...as your Powermaster is.

Just measure the depth of your bell and compare it to a standard. You may have a deeper bell. If you need, I can measure my spare Ultra bell and give you the depth. Just PM me...
Thanks,
Keith

i have a jw in my reid case with no issues..090 steel mid plate and a stock plate also.i just got it this year so it may be new design.my converter is also a gm 3 bolt type with a bbf pilot.the 8" i had before had a ring that screwed on the pilot so it'd fit.

Keith thanks for the reply - Reid actually screwed up when they made the BBF bell mold, you are correct it is to thick on the flange to get a normaly GM convertor bolted to a Ford flex plate (depth wise) , they couldnt machine the face that much and retain the SFI rating, so they came up with their billet flex spacer deal. That was cheaper than investing in a new mold - I used a JW wheel normally bolted to the back of the crank, and an adapter that fits in the crank on one side and has a GM convertor hole on the other - then I used some parallel spacers between the turbo convertor I had and the JW wheel. All that made the convertor pad spacing about 1/8 inch.

As the starter bolts to the engine side of the bell against the motor plate (in my case rear .120 engine plate) like the factory setup the 460 starter and JW wheel should be dimentionially OK

Keith - are you in TX - That 58 looks like Ray Winthros old car, got all twisted on the front when it launched, it was blue if I recall when he raced it - he was from Magnolia TX I think


Curious about the other response that had a ford snout on the convertor, wonder if the extended the pads as well so it would bolt in - did you spec the convertor to some one to build and tell them you had a Reid bell??

Thanks
Ron

Keith is in Georgia, Ron.

Nevs wrote:Keith is in Georgia, Ron.

Ron,
As Nevs indicated...I am in Georgia.
My '58 started out in Indiana, where it was bought from some hippies back in the mid-60s as they blew the engine (292) on a cross country trip. My old friend Paul Johnson built and raced the car for many years with FE mills. The car passed through 2 other owners until I bought it in 1973. It has always been red, since the early '70s.
So...the blue one is a different animal. There is a very nice blue '58 up north...tube chassised and all. Mine is just like it always has been!
I hope you get your combo worked out.
Thanks,
Keith

i got the reid case,bell too,from ptc.i'm not realy sure about the converter spec's for the bbf hub but it is a 3 bolt and i did use a jw wheel.call ptc and talk to Lane,he can hook you up with the spec's on that set up they sold me.